South Carolina Shrimp Industry Partnership
and the
South Carolina Shrimp Fishery Assistance Project

            
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Objective 7.
To develop an industry quality assurance program.

Quality assurance is the foundation of marketing. Without a quality product, marketing cannot be successful. The development of a quality assurance program is a core element of marketing, but because of its critical importance the industry has made a preliminary decision to treat it as a separate element in its strategic plan and allocated 10% of its regional funding ($365,900) to its support. Some of the elements of a quality assurance program may include:

• Establish quality and grading standards for domestic shrimp.
• Develop and adopt handling and grading specifications.
• Explore the creation of a "third party" inspection system for all shrimp - domestic and imported - with governments and agencies.
• Develop and implement an industry-wide quality control education and training program.

Develop a certification program for fishermen, growers, handlers, distributors and processors of wild harvested shrimp that is tied to the quality assurance program.

2.7.a. Action Plan: Improving the Quality and Price Point Potential of South Atlantic Shrimp.
Shrimp, like other seafood products, is highly perishable and rapidly loses quality and safety with improper handling and storage. Comprehensive research is needed to preserve shrimp quality and to create value-added product differentiation that can be marketed to the consumer. Developing a niche market for South Carolina-caught and regional-caught shrimp not only requires marketing but a product that meets a defined consumer need (i.e. quality, freshness, flavor, locally produced, value, etc.). Meeting this consumer need can result in a higher-valued product that will warrant a higher selling price. The goals of the following projects are to apply novel technology to extend the shelf life of shrimp, develop rapid methods for pathogen and chemical detection, and develop brand specific value-added shrimp products.

2.7.a.(2). Product Differentiation Based on Food Safety.
FSHN faculty will conduct research to detect multiple pathogen and chemical contamination in fresh-caught shrimp, imported shrimp and shrimp in seawater in real time. Several foodborne pathogens such as Clostridium botulinium type E, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus have been incriminated as causative agents of some seafood-related foodborne outbreaks. These pathogens can contaminate shrimp products from natural environment, fecal contamination, and during processing. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can amplify a single copy of short segments of bacterial DNA and is able to detect multiple pathogens from food products in less than an hour either quantitatively or qualitatively. Both the sensitivity and specificity of PCR assay is superior to the traditional cultural methods for detecting foodborne pathogens. GC-MS and HPLC will be used to monitor the volatile and non-volatile chemical compounds associated with the quality and safety of shrimp (chlorated pesticides, trimethyl amine, dienes, etc.). The results from this study will be used to boost consumer confidence as to the microbial and chemical safety of South Atlantic wild caught shrimp as compared to imported products.

2.7.a.(3). Developing market advantage through culinary applications and value-added product differentiation.
FSHN faculty will collaborate with marketing faculty to develop product ideas based on consumer gap/needs analysis. FSHN faculty will then develop individual sensory profiles for species of wild caught shrimp from the South Atlantic region and optimize the appropriate processing/cooking method to highlight the aroma, flavor and texture of South Atlantic wild caught shrimp in low-country cuisine. The goal of this culinary research is to develop processing/cooking methods and formulations/recipes which highlight the aroma, flavor, and texture of wild caught South Atlantic shrimp. Aroma, flavor, and texture profiles for wild caught and farmed raised shrimp will be identified using a trained sensory panel and GC-MS flavor chemical analysis. Data will be collected to determine differences between wild caught, farm raised and imported shrimp in classic Low-Country recipes using comparison test with an in-depth probe of product differences. To improve our success rate and to develop a meaningful database of information we will follow a formal stage/gate product development process from idea to post launch audit. From this research, training materials and outreach curriculum will be developed for delivery to selected chefs and niche markets " SEA the difference when you put SE-A tlantic Shrimp in regional cuisine". Applications for the utilization of undersized shrimp and by product materials will also be investigated. Specifically FSHN will determine the potential to recover natural shrimp and seafood flavors from small shrimp and shells through conventional extraction techniques and shrimp sauce by fermentation.

2.7.a.(4). Developing a high quality, ready-to-eat, shelf-stable retort pouch shrimp product.
FSHN faculty will use the results of culinary and sensory research to formulate and process South Atlantic wild shrimp in different flavors as ready-to-eat meals packaged in a flexible retort pouch. The thin profile of the retort pouch allows for rapid heating and cooling of the packaged food's "cold spot". Therefore higher temperatures and shorter times for processing can be used and have been proven to reduce quality losses in foods while delivering commercial sterility. Once the thermal process has been validated, various temperatures will be evaluated (at different processing times) for their effect on quality immediately after processing as well as during storage over a period of months. Weekly evaluations on product quality will include microbiological, sensory, appearance and off odor. This technology has been applied to traditionally canned tuna. Fully-cooked tuna is now available in a retort pouch that is shelf stable, higher quality than canned, and is sold at a premium price. The same technology can be applied to shrimp. Our culinary chef research team will create unique flavor formulations that will enable the South Atlantic Shrimp Industry to develop and market brand specific products based on regional cuisine attributes.

Questions or  comments: shrimp@clemson.edu
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